Giants: Give Walt Frazier an assist on receiver Marcus Harris

EAST RUTHERFORD – As a New York sports icon and pro basketball Hall of Famer, Walt "Clyde" Frazier sure knows a thing or two about making an impression.

So his pre-training camp advice resonated with Giants wide receiver Marcus Harris, whom the former two-time NBA champion Knicks point guard befriended after a chance meeting last year.

In Harris' quest to earn a roster spot, Frazier kept it simple: make this count.

"It's all about the impression," Frazier said in a telephone interview. "I kept telling Marcus, you've got to work hard at your craft. You gotta be in shape. You need the luck, being in the right place at the right time, but just keep working on your skills.

"The main thing is confidence: if you don't believe in yourself, nobody is gonna believe in you. You've got to stay very confident, and when your opportunity comes, you've got to capitalize on it."

Fitting, then, with the way Harris has been turning heads on and off the field.

Nicknamed "Soup" – a shortened version of the "Superstar" moniker Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin gave Harris, his high school quarterback in Minnesota – the one-time Arena Football League star is seizing the moment with style and substance.

"Limited reps for a guy like me," Harris, 25, said with a smile after Tuesday's practice during which he worked with the first-team offense catching passes from Eli Manning and playing alongside Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle. "I've earned the reps I got and I kept making plays so they kept giving them to me. Hopefully I keep it that way."

While rookie Corey Washington has provided the flash with three game-winning touchdown catches, Harris leads the Giants with eight preseason receptions and his consistency both offensively and on special teams also has helped him stand out.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder has been praised by head coach Tom Coughlin for his durability and by wide receivers coach Sean Ryan, who told reporters: "He doesn't drop the ball."

Circumstances out of his control have opened the door further for Harris, who spent part of last season on the Giants' practice squad earning the respect of teammates and opening eyes within the team's training facility with his approach.

Rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. still is dealing with a nagging hamstring despite the Giants' refusal to call the latest recurrence that kept him out of Tuesday's practice a "setback." The first-round draft pick won't play in Friday's game against the Jets.

Receiver Jerrel Jernigan has struggled to carry over his late-season success from 2013.

Former Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham hasn't shown he is completely recovered from the 2012 knee injury that derailed his career.

Meanwhile, Harris' steady play has helped him do exactly what Frazier suggested.

"When I first met Marcus at a [basketball] game last year, I thought he was a rapper sitting over there by [Knicks owner James] Dolan's seats, so I was like, 'Who's this guy?' " Frazier recalled with a laugh.

"He's a cool dresser and stuff, and I hadn't met him yet, but I met him after the game at the restaurant. We had a good laugh with it. I told him, 'Man, you're sitting in Mr. Dolan's seats. You've got connections.'

"[Harris is] very laid back, very amenable, very smooth, so I think people will gravitate to him, especially once you meet him. He has a charismatic personality," Frazier said.

Sounds a lot like the person Harris called "a father figure" last month when, on the first day of camp, Frazier sent "good luck" wishes via his Twitter account to him and teammate Julian Talley.

"You're talking about a star, an icon, a Hall of Famer," Harris said of Frazier. "When someone like that takes the time to give you advice, talk about his experience as an athlete and a person, you listen and follow what he says to be the best you can be."

Giants: Give Walt Frazier an assist on receiver Marcus Harris

EAST RUTHERFORD – As a New York sports icon and pro basketball Hall of Famer, Walt "Clyde" Frazier sure knows a thing or two about making an impression.

So his pre-training camp advice resonated with Giants wide receiver Marcus Harris, whom the former two-time NBA champion Knicks point guard befriended after a chance meeting last year.

In Harris' quest to earn a roster spot, Frazier kept it simple: make this count.

"It's all about the impression," Frazier said in a telephone interview. "I kept telling Marcus, you've got to work hard at your craft. You gotta be in shape. You need the luck, being in the right place at the right time, but just keep working on your skills.

"The main thing is confidence: if you don't believe in yourself, nobody is gonna believe in you. You've got to stay very confident, and when your opportunity comes, you've got to capitalize on it."

Fitting, then, with the way Harris has been turning heads on and off the field.

Nicknamed "Soup" – a shortened version of the "Superstar" moniker Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin gave Harris, his high school quarterback in Minnesota – the one-time Arena Football League star is seizing the moment with style and substance.

"Limited reps for a guy like me," Harris, 25, said with a smile after Tuesday's practice during which he worked with the first-team offense catching passes from Eli Manning and playing alongside Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle. "I've earned the reps I got and I kept making plays so they kept giving them to me. Hopefully I keep it that way."

While rookie Corey Washington has provided the flash with three game-winning touchdown catches, Harris leads the Giants with eight preseason receptions and his consistency both offensively and on special teams also has helped him stand out.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder has been praised by head coach Tom Coughlin for his durability and by wide receivers coach Sean Ryan, who told reporters: "He doesn't drop the ball."

Circumstances out of his control have opened the door further for Harris, who spent part of last season on the Giants' practice squad earning the respect of teammates and opening eyes within the team's training facility with his approach.

Rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr. still is dealing with a nagging hamstring despite the Giants' refusal to call the latest recurrence that kept him out of Tuesday's practice a "setback." The first-round draft pick won't play in Friday's game against the Jets.

Receiver Jerrel Jernigan has struggled to carry over his late-season success from 2013.

Former Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham hasn't shown he is completely recovered from the 2012 knee injury that derailed his career.

Meanwhile, Harris' steady play has helped him do exactly what Frazier suggested.

"When I first met Marcus at a [basketball] game last year, I thought he was a rapper sitting over there by [Knicks owner James] Dolan's seats, so I was like, 'Who's this guy?' " Frazier recalled with a laugh.

"He's a cool dresser and stuff, and I hadn't met him yet, but I met him after the game at the restaurant. We had a good laugh with it. I told him, 'Man, you're sitting in Mr. Dolan's seats. You've got connections.'

"[Harris is] very laid back, very amenable, very smooth, so I think people will gravitate to him, especially once you meet him. He has a charismatic personality," Frazier said.

Sounds a lot like the person Harris called "a father figure" last month when, on the first day of camp, Frazier sent "good luck" wishes via his Twitter account to him and teammate Julian Talley.

"You're talking about a star, an icon, a Hall of Famer," Harris said of Frazier. "When someone like that takes the time to give you advice, talk about his experience as an athlete and a person, you listen and follow what he says to be the best you can be."